Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major public health problem with over 1.5 million new heart attacks each year in the United States. Over 40 million individuals have diagnosed hyperlipidemia and about 50% of adults are estimated to have borderline to high cholesterol levels in the United States. The annual cost of cardiovascular disease is estimated by the American Heart Association to be over $117 billion. Metrika Laboratories will develop the Digital Response Total/HDL Cholesterol Test which is a single-use, disposable assay based on the simultaneous measurement of both substances in a small, finger-stick blood sample to yield quantitative numerical results. The test device, which will be about the size of a credit card, will combine inexpensive microelectronics and dry reagent chemistry. This innovative test will be extremely simple to operate and will provide a digital display of results in a few minutes. It can be used at the point-of-care or by the lay user in the home. This technology will benefit patients by providing a convenient and inexpensive method to monitor the effectiveness of cholesterol- lowering treatment and lifestyle changes and to screen undiagnosed individuals for both elevated total cholesterol and low HDL-cholesterol - both of which are independent risk factors for the development of CHD. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE